Fuel-feeding apparatus for internal-combustion engines.



2 SHEETS SHEET 1- Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

I. l. GOCHRAN.

FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS FOR fNTiRNAL COMBUSTION ENGuus.

APPLICATSON FILED MAY 4. 19]].

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T. l. COCHRAN.

FUEL FEEDlNG APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPUCATWN FILED HAY. 19H.

1,261,905, Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

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THOMAS I. COUHRAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FUEL-FEEDING APPARATUS FOR IN TERNAL-GOMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedApr. 9, 1918.

Application filed May 4, 1917. Serial No. 166,496.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS I. CooHRAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in FueLFeeding Apparatus for Internal-Combustion Engines, and dcclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, which form a part of this speci cation.

This invention relates to fuel-feeding apparatus for internal combustion engines, and has for its object an improved organization of parts for maintaining the supply of gasolene to the carbureter substantially constant, regardless of the position of the vehicle reia tively to the horizontal plane, and with equal reliability under varying conditions of suction.

In many respects it makes use of the same principles as does the device of my copending application, Serial No. 138,252, though varying therefrom in entirely omitting any lever for correlating the action of the several parts.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, through the center of the shell or casing, of one form of my invention, with the parts in the position Which they occupy when suction from the engine manifold is acting on the interior of the shell.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the device of Fig. 1, showing the parts controlling the suction and air communication in raised position.

Fig. 3 shows a slightly modified construction, in which the moving, port-closing part is a cap or sleeve engaging outside the manifold connection, instead of a slug or piston engaging therewithin, as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of another modified form, in which the air valve is separate from the shell of the manifold connection.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a form of device similar to Fig. 3 as regards the employment of a sleeve to cover the several.

openings, but with the air passage built in alongside of the suction connection.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation.

of the upper part of the device of Fi 5, showing the port-controlling sleeve in Towcred position.

Referring first to the device of Figs. 1 and 2, 12 represents a tank or casing, having a lower chamber 13, vented as usual by the pipe 13*, and an upper chamber 14. The lower chamber is provided with a. drain opening 15, and in the wall of the upper chamber 14 is located an inlet aperture 16 for connection with the main supply tank (not shown), which is usually located at the rear of the vehicle chassis. The two chamhers 13 and 14 are connected through the medium of the pipe 17, at whose foot is located a ball or other suitable valve 18, which is held against falling out by the pin 19, and is adapted to be drawn onto its seat by the prevalence of a condition of suction in the upper chamber 14. a

In the upper end of the chamber 14 is lo cated the carburetor and engine suction connection 20, and axially in line therewith there rises from the bottom of the upper chamber the partially slotted guide tube 21, about which the .float 22 engages. Within the tube 21 engages a rod or wire 24, which carries on its lower end the cross-bar 23, which when in lowermost position rests on the bottom of the slot in the tube 21, and on its upper end the cross-head 25, which is preferably connected therewith by the knuckle 30. When there is too little gasolane in the upper chamber 14 to raise the float 22 from its position of rest on the crossbar 23, the cross-head 25 on'the upper end of the rod 24 supports the lower end of the valve piston 26, which is connected therewith, which engages within the she1l27 in such lowered position as to leave the suction port 28 open while blankin the lower end of the air-passage 29. In this position of the parts the engine suction acts directly on the interior of the chamber 14 through the air port 28, thus in turn drawingthe ball valve 18 in the lower chamber 13 onto its seat. This closes the communication 17 between the chambers, and results in a rise in the gasolene level in the upper chamber 14, which in due time lifts the float 22. When the float reaches the upper cross-licad 25, with which the lower point of the valve piston 26 is connected, its further rise causes the piston 26 to move upwardly far enough to cover the suction port 28. The moment this is accomplished, all of the engine suction, whichhas thus far had all of the interior of the upper chamber 14 to act upon, becomes operative on the valve piston 26 and its connected parts 23, 24 and 25 alone, and it is instantly raised by suction through the rest of its possible path of travel. This movement of the valve piston to its extreme raised position uncovers the lower end of the air-passage 29, which results in breaking the vacuum Within the chamber 14, and this in turn releases the ball valve 18 from its seat in the lower end of the pipe 17, allow- .ing'fgasolen e to flow therethrough out of the upper chamber 14. With the chamber 14 no longer under suction, and the gasolene consequently flowing out, the float 22 drops with the gasolene level until it falls on the lower cross bar 23, when its weight, as the gasolene level continues to fall, pulls down the valve piston 26 sufficiently to first cover the lower end of the air passage 29 once more, and to thereafter expose the suction port 28. This enables the resumptionof suction on the interior of the chamber 14, resulting in seating the ball valve 18 and the accumulation of gasolene in thechamber 14 until the float is a ain raised, with results as already describe In the modified form of device shown in Fig. 3, the port-governing piston is in the form of a cap or sleeve 31,whose bottom portion has a similar knuckle connection 30 with the stem 2% as in Fig. 1.. The sleeve engages. over and outside of the suction connection 32, which is provided on one side with the suction port 33. On the lateral flange or projection 34 on the cap 31 rests the air-valve stem' 35, which, when the sleeve israised by the buoyancy of the float, acts to displace the ball 36. This results similarly, as to the consequent change in suction conditions, as does the uncovering of the air-passage 29 by the final suction-induced rise of the valve piston 26 in the device of Fig. 1. And similarly when the float 22 begins to drop, because of the lowering of the gasolene level, the ball 36 is enabled to seat before the suction port 33 is uncovered. In this figure the raised position of the cap or sleeve 31 is indicated by dotted lines.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the use of the sleeve to engage over the suction terminal'is further illustrated in a modified way, in that instead of the opening and closin of the air valve'being effected by the disp acement of a ball by a stem on the flanged sleeve, the air passage 37 is built into the shell of the suction terminal 42, and is adapted to be normally closed when the float is down by the engagement of the upper rim 38 of the cap thercover, as shown in Fig. 6, and to be opened so 'as to exposethe interior-,ofthe chamber to the atmosphere only when the aperture 39 in the cap is raised sulficiently high to register therewith, as shown in Fig. 5.

ig. 4 shows a modification in construction in which the valve piston 40 engages inside the suction terminal 45, and in a way to control the suction port 46, as in Fig. 1, butwhich employs a ball-valve 43 and displacing stem 44 similarly to the stem 35 and ball in Fig. 3. In all forms of the device the same quick final rise and fall of the suction valve member takes place after the initial and comparatively slow movement of the parts in either direction, due to the rise and fall of the float. The suction conditions are regulated on the same principle, regardless of which form of air valve is used, or whether the suction valve be of the piston form or of the sleeve type.

What I claim is:

l. A fuel supply apparatus for internal combustion engines, having in combination a shell provided with a pair of connected chambers, the upper one of said chambers having inlet and outlet apertures, a suction controlled valve for the communication between said chambers, a float in the upper one of said chambers adapted to move along an axis common to itself and to the outlet aperture in said upper chamber, a communi cation between the outlet aperture and a suction source, provided with a suction port adjacent said outlet aperture, a valve member adapted to close and open said suction port while in intermediate position relatively to its seat adjacent said outlet aperture, said valve member deriving its primary actuation in either direction from the l'l'lOVQlIlCllt of said float and being dependent as to its later movement in either direction upon the changed suction condi tions due to the closing and opening of the suction port, and a normally closed air valve adapted to be opened by the final suctionindnced closing movement of said first named valve member.

2. In a fuel supply apparatus for internal combustion engines, in combination with a shell having a plurality of apertures, a suction-controlled val ve for one of said apertures, a normally closed air valve for another of said apertures, a communication to a suction source connected with another of said apertures, said communication being provided with a suction port, a valve member adapted to close said suction port before the opening of said air valve and to close said air valve before the opening of the suction port, and afloat by whose movements the initial movement of said valve member in either direction is regulated, the later movement thereof in either direction being dependent upon the changed suction conditime due to the closing or opening of said suction port.

3. In a fuel supply apparatus for internal combustion engines, the combination of a shell provided with inlet and outlet apertures, a float member ada ted to move alon an axis common to itsel and to the outlet aperture in the shell, a communication be tween the outlet aperture and a suctm source, a suction port therein, an air valve, and a valve member for the outlet aperture and the suction port adapted to be regulated as to its movements past said suction port by the rise and fall of the float, being thereafter dependent for its further actuation in either direction upon the changed suction conditions resulting from the closure or opening of said suction port.

4. In a fuel supply apparatus for internal combustion engines, in combination with a shell having a plurality of valve-regulated apertures, a connection for one of said apertures to a suction source and provided with a suction port in such position relatively to the valve controlling that aperture that the suction port is closed or opened thereby while the same is still in intermediate position'with respect to its seat, and a float member whose axis of movement coincides with the axis of said aperture leading to the suc- .tion communication, the initial closing and opening movement of said valve, resulting in the closure and opening of the suction port being effected by the movement thereof and the subsequent movements thereof bein dependent upon the changed suction conditions within the tank resulting from such initial closing and opening movements.

5. A fuel feeding apparatus for internal combustion onginos, having in combination with a plurally apertnred shell, and a float movable therein lengthwise of an axis common to itself and to one of said apertures, a valve-controlled communication between a suction. source and that one of the apertures in the shell which is in axial alinement with the float, a suction port in said communication adapted to be controlled by said valve. means rendering the initial closing and opening movements of the valve controlling said suction communication dependent upon the movement of said float, thereby effecting the closure and opening of the suction port, the final movement thereof in either direction. being a resultant of the changed suction conditions due to the initial float-determined actuation of the valve.

'0. In a fuel-feeding device for internal comlmstion engines, in combination with an apcrtm-ml shell, a float therein adapted to move coaxially with one of said apertures, a connection from such aperture to a suction source, a normally open suction port therein, a valve member adapted to control said connection and to occupy a position of closure with respect to said suction port when in intermediate position with respect to its controlling seat for said communication, being dependent on the movement of said float for its actuation to such intermediate position, and an air valve adapted to he closed by the movement of said float and to be opened by the final sucti0n-induced movement of said suction valve member after its initial movement has resulted in the closing of said suction ort.

7. n a fuel-feeding device for internal combustion engines, in combination with a shell member havin communication with a supply tank and witha suction source, a 'normallywopen suction port in said lastnamed communication, a valve for said suction communication, adapted also to be in position of closure with respect to said suction port when in intermediate position only with respect to its seat, a float member adapted to move along an axis common to it and to said suction valve member to cfl'ect the initial movement thereof in either direction, thereby closing and opening the suction port, and an air valve dependent. for its closing upon the movement of said float and for its opening upon the final closing movementvof said suction valve resulting from the changed suction conditions due to the closure of said suction port.

8. A fuel-feeding device for internal combustion engines, comprisin a shell having a plurality of valve-controlled apertures, a communication between one of said apertures and a suction source, there being a normally open suction port.in said communication closely adjacent to the a erture-mentioned, a valve member depen ent on suction influence for its final closing and opening movements, a float member in said shell adapted to move therein along an axis common to it and to the suction aperture to effect the initial movement of said valve member in either direction, the suction port being closed thereby, and a normally closed air valve appurtenant to another of the apertures in the shell, adapted to be opened by the final suction-induced upward movement of said valve member and to be closed by the movement of said float member.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses. 7

THOMAS I. COCHRAN.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM M. SWAN, JEFFERSON G. THURBER. 

